Join our Patreon community here!: patreon.com/religionforbreakfastIs Religion Good for the Environment?ReligionForBreakfast2023-03-08 | Back in the 1960s, the historian Lynn White Jr. blamed Christianity for the climate crises of the 20th century. More recently, many religious leaders have published eco-friendly versions of their theology. But is it helping? Can religion be good for the environment?
Brought to you by the Religion and Environment Story Project at Boston University with the support of the Arthur Vining Davis Foundations.
Thanks to @TorqueTales for the footage of the Hadimba Temple.
Further Reading: Taylor, Wieren, Zaleha, "Lynn White Jr. and the greening-of-religion hypothesis," Conservation Biology, 30 (5), 2016.Why Is Congress So Religious?ReligionForBreakfast2023-02-27 | Keep exploring at brilliant.org/ReligionForBreakfast. Get started for free, and hurry—the first 200 people get 20% off an annual premium subscription.
Bibliography: PBS, “Religiously, Congress doesn’t reflect modern America, Pew finds”, Jan 5, 2023. link, accessed Jan 17, 2023.
PPRI (Public Religion Research Institute), “PRRI 2021 American Values Atlas: Religious Affiliation Updates and Trends: White Christian Decline Slows, Unaffiliated Growth Levels Off”, April 27, 2022, link, accessed Jan 17, 2023
Pew Research Center, Jeff Diamant, “Faith on the Hill: The religious composition of the 188th Congress”, Jan 3, 2023, link, accessed Jan 17, 2023
RNS (Religious News Service), Jana Riess, “The ‘nones’ are growing — and growing more diverse”, March 24, 2021, link, accessed Jan 17, 2023
Madrid, R., Merolla, J.L., Yanez Ruiz, A., et al., “The Relevance of Religion for Political Office: Voter Bias Toward Candidates from Different Religious Backgrounds”, Polit Behav 44, 981–1001 (2022), link, accessed Jan 27, 2023
Hogg, M. A., & Abrams, D. (2007), “Intergroup behavior & social identity”, in M. A. Hogg & J. Cooper (Eds.), The SAGE handbook of social psychology, SAGE Publications Inc.What is Tibetan Buddhism?ReligionForBreakfast2023-02-16 | 🌏 Get the exclusive NordVPN deal here ➼ nordvpn.com/rfb It’s risk-free with Nord’s 30-day money-back guarantee! Thanks to NordVPN for sponsoring this video.
Tibetan Buddhism is a unique expression of Buddhism that has developed over centuries in the high Himalayan region of Tibet and the surrounding areas. The Dalai Lama, the spiritual leader of the Tibetan people, is perhaps the most well-known figure associated with Tibetan Buddhism. In this video, we will explore the key teachings and practices of Tibetan Buddhism, including tantric meditation, compassion, and the concept of emptiness.
Special thanks to Dr. Connie Kassor for co-writing this episode. Follow her on Twitter at: @constancekassor
To learn more, check out Dr. Aaron Proffitt's introduction over at: @AmericanBuddhistStudyCenter youtube.com/watch?v=SxQ64mX2L48The Real Meaning of Yin & YangReligionForBreakfast2023-02-10 | Thank you to Wondrium for sponsoring today’s video! Signup for your FREE trial to Wondrium here: http://ow.ly/eOWx50MESly
Explore the concept of Yin and Yang - the ancient Chinese philosophy that highlights the balance of opposing forces in the universe. In this video, we'll delve into the meaning of Yin and Yang, how they are represented in the famous Taijitu symbol, and their impact on health, relationships, and the natural world. From the yin-yang balance of light and dark, to hot and cold, and masculine and feminine, this video will provide a comprehensive look at one of the most fundamental beliefs in Chinese philosophy.Biblically-Accurate Angels ExplainedReligionForBreakfast2023-02-02 | Join my online class about ancient magic and guardian angels!: religionforbreakfast.eventbrite.com
Biblically-accurate Clippy was used with permission from the original artist. Check out the work by Evangeline Gallagher on Twitter: @egallagher_art
Angel animations by @ECHenry
You may have seen the memes about "biblically-accurate angels." These memes often emphasize the weird, visionary creatures mentioned in the Hebrew Bible. Technically, though, 'biblically-accurate' angels also just look like humans.Dyeus: The Indo-European Sky FatherReligionForBreakfast2023-01-12 | Thanks to Wondrium for sponsoring today's video! Signup for your FREE trial to Wondrium here: http://ow.ly/rhcY50Mf3i6
In this video, we explore the Proto-Indo-European Sky Father. A deity revered by many cultures throughout history. From the Greek Zeus to the Roman Jupiter, the Sky Father god represented the celestial day-lit sky. Hosted by Dr. Andrew M. Henry.
Bibliography: David Anthony, "The Horse, the Wheel, and Language," 2007. Ranko Matasovic, "A Reader in Comparative Indo-European Religion," 2018. Mallory and Adams, "The Oxford Introduction to Proto-Indo-European and the Proto-Indo-European World," 2006. West, Indo-European Poetry and Myth, Oxford Press, 2007.
The thumbnail for this video was generated with the help of DALL-E 2.Understanding Wuwei: The Daoist Art of Going With the FlowReligionForBreakfast2022-12-18 | Thank you to Wondrium for sponsoring today's video! Signup for your FREE trial to Wondrium here: http://ow.ly/tRaf50LVqFM
Wuwei is a core concept in Daoist philosophy that involves letting go of control and letting things happen naturally. It's often translated as "non-action," but it's not about being inactive or passive. Instead, it's about aligning with the flow of the universe and acting in a way that is effortless and harmonious. In this video, we explore the meaning and significance of wuwei and how Daoist philosophers interpreted it. Whether you're familiar with Daoism or just curious about this ancient Chinese philosophy, this video will provide a deep understanding of wuwei and its role in cultivating a balanced and fulfilling life.
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00:00 Recap of Jesus' Aramaic Name 00:26 The Quranic Exception: Isa 2:31 Ad break 3:41 Safaitic overview 4:52 Inscription overview 7:29 Etymology of 'sy 10:10 Conclusion
To learn more about this research: Al-Jallad. 20201. The Pre-Islamic Divine Name 'sy and the Background of the Qur'anic Jesus, with Ali al-ManaserQ&A with Dr. Jackson Crawford and Dr. Luke GortonReligionForBreakfast2022-11-20 | Impromptu livestream with scholarly YouTubers Jackson Crawford and Luke Gorton!Q&A with Dr. Jackson Crawford and Dr. Luke GortonReligionForBreakfast2022-11-20 | Impromptu livestream with scholarly YouTubers Jackson Crawford and Luke Gorton!Thebes: The Holy City of Ancient EgyptReligionForBreakfast2022-11-20 | Thank you to Wondrium for sponsoring today's video! Signup for your FREE trial to Wondrium at: http://ow.ly/klS650LnlVb
Thebes was once ancient Egypt's capital and the cultic center of its most prominent god: Amun. It also was home to one of the largest temple precincts in the ancient world: Karnak.
Bibliography: Lukas Licka, “Approaches to the Extramission Postulate in 13th Century Theories of Vision,” in Medieval Perceptual Puzzles, Brill 2020.
Roland Betancourt, “Why Sight is Not Touch: Reconsidering the Tacility of Vision in Byzantium,” Dumbarton Oaks Papers 70, Dec 2016.
Van de Ven, Zeelenberg, and Pieters, “Warding off the Evil Eye: When the Fear of Being Envied Increases Prosocial Behavior,” Psychological Science, Volume 21, Issue 11.
Antioch mosaic: see Levi, The Evil Eye and the Lucky Hunchback," Antioch Mosaic Pavements, 28-34
Gadi Sagiv, “Dazzling Blue: Color Symbolism, Kabbalistic Myth, and the Evil Eye in Judaism,” Numen 64 (2017) 183-208.
Giacomantonio et. al., “The evil eye: Eye gaze and competitiveness in social decision making,” European Journal of Social Psychology, August 2017.Tech Companies: A New Religion?ReligionForBreakfast2022-10-20 | Thank you to Wondrium for sponsoring today's video! Signup for your FREE trial to Wondrium today: http://ow.ly/gYIH50L1isG
What was the actual name of Jesus? Many people know that Jesus's actual Aramaic name was something like: Yeshua. But that is only partially correct. The answer is a little bit more complicated because the final syllable in the original name is a sound that doesn't appear in the English language.
00:00 Intro: Jesus' Greek name 1:17 The two Joshuas 3:08 Ad break 4:22 The Ayin 5:37 The Sneaky "A" 7:24 The Greek Transliteration of Yeshu' 9:00 The Journey from Iesous to Jesus 10:00 Yeshu or Yeshu(a)?
Bibliography: Richard Steiner, “A-coloring Consonants and Furtive Patah in Biblical Hebrew and Aramaic According to the Tiberian Masorah.
Roey Gafter, “Pharyngeal Beauty and Depharyngealized Geek: Performing Ethnicity on Israeli Reality TV,” in Raciolinguistics: How Language Shapes Our Ideas About Race, 2016.
Daniel Lefkowitz, Words and Stones: The Politics of Language and Identity in Israel.
Eran Shuali, "Yesu or Yesua'? A Sketch of hte History of Jesus' Names in Hebrew from Antiquity to the Present,"
Matthew Mitchell, "Matthew 26:73 and the Case of the Disappearing Galilean Accent," JBL 139, no. 1 (2020): 107-124
Jonathan Watt, "Of Gutturals and Galileans: The Two Slurs of Matthew 26:73," Diglossia.What is Daoism?ReligionForBreakfast2022-09-22 | Thank you to Wondrium for sponsoring today's video! Signup for your FREE trial to Wondrium here: http://ow.ly/pNJv50KwXxF
Daoism, sometimes spelled as Taoism, is a religious and philosophical tradition indigenous to China. But what is Daoism?
Bibliography: There are several excellent intro books available. Here are a few I consulted for this video:
Ronnie Littlejohn, Daoism: An Introduction, 2009. Livia Kohn, Introducing Daoism, 2008. James Miller, Daoism: A Beginner's Guide, 2003. Stephen Prothero, Religion Matters: An Introduction to the World's Religions, 2020.
00:00 Intro 1:00 The Dao Explained 2:53 The Dao De Jing 7:43 The Zhuangzi 12:00 "Religious" Daoism Intro 13:40 Tianshi dao 15:07 Quanzhen dao 16:13 Daoist Canon 16:45 Daoist Deities 19:05 Self-Cultivation Techniques 21:58 21st-century DaoismWhat Happened to the Ten Lost Tribes of Israel?ReligionForBreakfast2022-08-31 | Get the exclusive NordVPN deal here: nordvpn.com/rfb. It’s risk free with Nord’s 30 day money-back guarantee! Thanks to NordVPN for sponsoring this video.
Check out Andrew Tobolowsky's book "The Myth of the 12 Tribes of Israel" here: amzn.to/3TAJ3fM
Mark 10:25 says: "It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God." This is one of the most famous sayings of Jesus. But did we translate his saying correctly?Coptic: The Final Ancient Egyptian LanguageReligionForBreakfast2022-06-23 | Signup up for your FREE trial to Wondrium here: http://ow.ly/avYl30skwQr
00:00 Intro 00:52 Phases of the Egyptian Language 2:19 Dialects of Coptic 4:36 Origins of Coptic Script 7:55 Genres of Coptic Lit 12:22 Later HistoryWhy Humans Evolved to Play MusicReligionForBreakfast2022-06-16 | Watch full interview with the researcher and writer of this episode: Dr. Connor Wood: youtube.com/watch?v=ktsOzZRaI94&feature=youtu.be
Sources: Heidi Wendt, "At the Temple Gates: The Religion of Freelance Experts in the Early Roman Empire," 2016
David Frankfurter, "Guide to the Study of Ancient Magic," 2019Pure Land Buddhism: The Mahayana MultiverseReligionForBreakfast2022-04-28 | Signup for your FREE trial to Wondrium here: http://ow.ly/v6kW30sfmau
Valentinianism was a prominent variety of early Christianity starting in the 2nd century CE. Some call it a form of Gnosticism. But what is Valentinianism all about?
Further reading: Piotr Ashwin-Siejkowski, "Valentinus’ Legacy and Polyphony of Voices" [2022] Geoffrey Smith, "Valentinian Christianity" [2020] Ismo Dunderberg, "Beyond Gnosticism" [2008]Khonsu: The Egyptian Moon God (in Marvel’s Moon Knight)ReligionForBreakfast2022-03-25 | Signup for your FREE trial to Wondrium here: http://ow.ly/w5ka30scecC
Moon Knight is the latest Marvel character to get a live action adaptation on Disney Plus. The show tells the story of Marc Spector (Oscar Isaac), who becomes the Fist of Khonshu, the Egyptian Moon God. How faithful is the MCU god to Khonsu of Egyptian mythology?
Credits: Executive Producers: Francesco Barravecchia, Robert Porchia Producer: Audra Owens, Dhruv Singhal, Lyndsay Ballew Writers: Chance Bonar, Andrew Henry Editor: Mark Henry
00:00 Introduction 2:19 Antichrist in the NT 7:19 Irenaeus' Expansion of Antichrist 11:52 Tertullian and Hippolytus 14:00 Medieval Developments of Antichrist 16:11 ConclusionThe Resurrection in its Cultural Context [feat. Dr. Bart Ehrman]ReligionForBreakfast2022-03-12 | Register for the Ehrman and Licona debate here!: bartehrman.com/easterdebate
This video is a broad overview of Buddhist meditation techniques aimed at non-specialists. For those looking to explore more deeply, we recommend the following video: youtube.com/watch?v=zyNrtFIk6Ko , as well as other more in-depth videos from from Doug's Dharma. For those looking for examples of guided meditations from Buddhist teachers, youtube.com/watch?v=w6Wc8TXeDcU and youtube.com/watch?v=6wu9YzVrz3o are good places to start.
For a short and accessible introduction to the Satipatthana Sutta, see Don Lopez, ed, "The Establishment of Mindfulness," Norton Anthology of World Religions, pages 193-201.
For more about samatha and vipassana, see Rupert Gethin, The Foundations of Buddhism, pages 174-197. For a publicly available resource, see the writings of Alexander Berzin, including studybuddhism.com/en/essentials/what-is/what-is-meditation
For more about mindfulness, sati, and samprajanna, see Jay Garfield, "Mindfulness and Ethics: Attention, Virtue, and Perfection", in A Mirror Is for Reflection: Understanding Buddhist Ethics, pages 204-207.
For more selections from the Pali Buddhist Canon on meditation and mindfulness, see Bhikkhu Bodhi, trans. In the Buddha's Words: An Anthology of Discourses from the Pali Canon, pages 257-300. There are also ample resources on https://www.accesstoinsight.org.
For those interested in understanding the development of the term mindfulness as used in contemporary society, see Rupert Gethin, "On some definitions of mindfulness," in Contemporary Buddhism, Volume 12, 2011 - Issue 1.
00:00 Intro 1:06 Sponsorship 2:16 Misconceptions 4:34 Why do Buddhists meditate? 6:43 Defining meditation 8:18 What does meditation seek to accomplish? 9:35 The two wings of Buddhist meditation 12:13 Mindfulness explained 14:00 Satipatthana Sutta overview 16:51 TakeawaysThe Book that Almost Made it into the BibleReligionForBreakfast2022-02-15 | Get the exclusive NordVPN deal here: nordvpn.com/rfb. It’s risk free with Nord’s 30 day money-back guarantee! Thanks to NordVPN for sponsoring this video.
00:00 Intro 1:42 Contents 6:22 Authorship and Date 7:57 Manuscript History 10:52 Christian Usage of Text 12:54 What happened to it?Sobek: The Egyptian Crocodile God ExplainedReligionForBreakfast2022-02-06 | Signup for your FREE trial to Wondrium here: http://ow.ly/jefJ30s9buI
00:00 Introduction 01:51 Early History of Delphi 05:54 The Oracle Explained 09:03 Geochemical Gas Theory 12:03 Problems with Gas Theory 16:20 Alternative Theory: C02? 17:48 Synthesis: Trance, yes. Gas? No.Did Christmas Copy the Sun Gods Birthday?ReligionForBreakfast2021-12-15 | Join our Patreon community!: patreon.com/religionforbreakfast One-time donations here!: paypal.me/religionforbreakfast Check out my favorite religious studies books by following this affiliate link to my Amazon page: amazon.com/shop/religionforbreakfast
00:00 Introduction and Summary 3:54 Iconography Overview 6:19 Basic History 15:10 Elagabalus and Aurelian 23:08 Examining the Origins of Sol Festival 31:47 The History of Religions Theory 37:30 The Calculation Theory 46:42 Summary and TakeawayMaya Religion ExplainedReligionForBreakfast2021-12-05 | Join our Patreon community!: patreon.com/religionforbreakfast One-time donations here!: paypal.me/religionforbreakfast Check out my favorite religious studies books by following this affiliate link to my Amazon page: amazon.com/shop/religionforbreakfast
Writer: Dr. R. Andrew Chesnut Editor: Mark Henry Executive Producers: Daniel Cuevas, Jay Gotschalk Producers: Lyndsay Ballew
Further Reading: R. Andrew Chesnut, "Devoted to Death: Santa Muerte, the Skeleton Saint," 2011.Patreon Pledge Drive: Celebrating 7-Year Anniversary of RFB!ReligionForBreakfast2021-10-23 | In October 2014, I published my first video on Religion for Breakfast. 7 years later, we're still going strong! Join me on Saturday, October 23 for a Patreon pledge drive as we reflect on the past 7 years and the future of RFB!
Special thanks to these amazing people: Executive Producers: Daniel Cuevas and Maritza Producer: Lyndsay Ballew Writer: Dr. Ori Tavor Editor: Mark Henry
Special thanks to Jennifer Greenberg for co-writing this episode. Thanks also to Gavi Lazan for providing critical feedback and images. You can follow his work @UNPACKED, a channel dedicated to Jewish life and culture.
And thanks also to Azi Schwartz for providing all of the b-roll footage from Park Avenue Synagogue. You can follow his channel @cantorazischwartz.
Special thanks to Duke University PhD candidate Ian Mills for co-writing this episode. Find their podcast, New Testament Review, here: youtube.com/channel/UCR8SeIgZf4x0-wUMWVvWchw
00:00 Intro: What are the Synoptics? 2:55 Traditional composition of the Gospels 3:34 Evidence of Verbatim Agreement 5:45 Evidence of Markan Priority 12:34 Double Tradition Question 14:50 Conclusion